


Portrait

by Enimed



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: A few others mentioned but not enough for tags, Gen, Nagamas 2020, vaguely pre-timeskip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:56:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enimed/pseuds/Enimed
Summary: Ignatz knows of a place, just outside Garreg Mach, a little ways through the woods. It’s a beautiful spot, where the sunset is in full view in the evening, highlighted by the river flowing just beneath.Marianne knows of a place, a little ways down the river from Garreg Mach. It’s a lovely spot, away from prying eyes, with only the sound of nature to accompany her and the horses she brings along for a walk.One evening, they both learn that their ‘secret spot’ isn’t quite so secret, and share a moment together under the setting sun.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund & Ignatz Victor
Kudos: 7





	Portrait

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this was written for Nagamas 2020 as a gift for @evies-storybook on tumblr! i'll admit i don't write marianne or ignatz much, so it was a bit weird, but they're still some of my favorites, so i did enjoy writing this piece! happy (late) holidays!

Marianne closed her eyes for a short moment, taking in the feeling of the clear, cool stream water as the rag in her hand fluttered in the current. The sunset above her head bounced off of the surface, painting it in shades of orange and pink as she pulled her hand back out, standing up and wringing out the rag until it was only damp.

“Easy, now...you just have a little bit of mud I need to wipe off.” She spoke softly to the horse beside her, a light blonde mare named Val, who shook her head as Marianne reached closer, bringing the wet rag to her side. “You’re such a sweet girl. I’ll let you go back to grazing in a moment.”

Val whinnied, head shaking again as Marianne hummed, taking a moment to wipe off the mud that trailed from her side to one of her front legs. The small force of Knights who had returned to Garreg Mach that day had been caught in the rain, and a few of the horses ended up with dirty spots from the trek home. Most of them would be cared for in the stables.

But not Val, who was always one of Marianne’s favorites.

“There you are. All clean, aren’t you?” She ran her hand down Val’s side, smiling to herself as she did. The rag was set down by the riverside, to be washed again before they left, once the sun had fully set and left the two in growing nighttime darkness.

But she knew she had time before then, so she stayed there by the river, sitting herself down on the grass and watching Val, letting thoughts of the last few days go by. Classes, weapon training, learning how to control magic better to prepare for the battles in the coming months as a student of the Officer's Academy. The whole thing scared her, just a little, but she was glad to be here. Glad for the friends she'd made, both human among her classmates and non-human among the stables of the monastery. She wasn't sure what would come next, but with every passing day, she felt a little more prepared for it.

Marianne wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she was stirred out of her thoughts, glancing up at the setting sun and then back to where Val stood behind her, nosing the grass. She reached a hand back, waiting for Val to pull back before pushing her hand into the grass, finally closing it around some kind of stick. A paintbrush, she noticed, as she held it up, with flecks of dried orange paint on the bristles.

“Ah- I’m so sorry!” A voice came from behind, and she turned fully, eyes landing on Ignatz, who was coming down the small hill, face bright red and hand scratching the back of his neck. “I didn’t even notice you were down here until just now…”

“It’s alright. You dropped this, right?” Marianne stood up as Ignatz approached, holding out the brush to him. “I...didn’t think there was anyone else out here.”

“It’s pretty out of the way, huh?” Ignatz shook his head, taking the paintbrush back with a smile. “I’ve been out here a few times to watch the sunset.”

“Oh, you have? I...come out here with the horses sometimes.” She spared a glance back at Val, who had stopped caring about Ignatz and had returned to enjoying the grass and water.

“It sounds like we keep missing each other, then.” Ignatz let out a laugh, and Marianne smiled, letting out a laugh of her own. “It’s a nice spot, though. I can see why you might come out here with them.”

“Val just got back with the Knights today. I thought she might appreciate some special care.” The horse let out a soft neigh, and Marianne laughed again as she reached out to place a hand on her side. “They love having a chance to come out here. Fresh grass and running water…it’s quiet, too.”

“I see...I’m sorry I interrupted, then!”

“No, you haven’t interrupted anything!” She raised her hands to cover her face, turning away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude.”

“No, no! That’s my fault, you weren’t being rude! Honest!” Ignatz’s hands came out in front of him, trying to reassure Marianne. 

“Sorry…” Marianne shook her head, turning back to face Ignatz.

“No, it’s alright, Marianne! I promise.” He gave her a light smile, and a moment later she smiled back.

“If you’re sure...can I ask why you’re here, though?”

“Like I said, I come out here sometimes to see the sunset. The view’s beautiful from the top of the hill. It’s better than Raphael’s favorite spot, which involves climbing the barracks...we got yelled at last time.” He let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck again.

“Climbing the…? That sounds dangerous.”

“He barely convinced me to do it by having me go up first, so he could catch me if I fell...it was terrifying.” Ignatz shook his head, glancing up at the sky and the sunset above the two. “I think I’ll enjoy the sunset from the ground.”

“...Did you come out here to paint the sunset?”

“H-Huh!?” Ignatz took a step back, blinking at Marianne a few times. “W-Where’d you get that idea?”

“I mean, you dropped a paintbrush earlier…”

“Oh. Y-Yeah, I guess I did, huh?” He shook his head, laughing a bit. “...I wanted to try painting it, at least. It won’t compare to an actual sunset, but it’ll still be nice practice.” After a moment, he turned toward Marianne, eyes wide and face bright. “If it’s alright with you...could I try to paint you, too?”

“A-Are you sure? I mean, you could always ask someone else...I’m sure Hilda would love to…”

“I know she would, but...this is a spot that only we know about. A-And this painting could just be for us, too. I-If you want to do it, anyways, you don’t have to!” She could see a hint of red on Ignatz’s face as he spoke, taking another step back, hands dropping to his sides. “Sorry, that was kind of a weird question to ask in the first place…”

“...Will you paint Val, too?” Ignatz didn’t respond, instead looking up at Marianne, confusion clear on his face. She turned to point at Val, who had a mouthful of grass and not a care in the world. “This is her spot, too.”

“O-Oh. I don’t paint animals all that much, and I’ve certainly never painted a horse...but I can try!” The smile was quick to return to his face, and Marianne nodded as she took a few steps toward Val, reaching out a hand to place it on her side. “You two can stay here. Let me get my things, I can come down here.”

“Are you sure?”

“If...you said Val, right?” Marianne nodded. “If Val wants to stay by the river, then she can. Whatever keeps her from moving too much.”

“That makes sense. Okay, we’ll...wait down here.”

“Thank you, Marianne. I’m sure you’ll love the painting when it’s done. I hope I have enough yellow…” Ignatz’s voice grew distant as he turned back up the hill, mumbling to himself as he walked. Marianne watched him with a smile, sitting back down on the grass and reaching out a hand to scratch at Val’s ear.

“...A quiet spot, that only we know about. Maybe it isn’t so bad, having someone else here.”


End file.
